62 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
July  18,  1895. 
running  water  adds  life  to  the  scene.  Right  below,  in  the  lowest  depth 
of  the  valley,  situate  in  the  midst  of  a  placid  pool,  the  surface  of  which 
is  covered  with  white  Water  Lilies  and  other  aquatic  plants,  is  a 
fountain  built  in  Indian  Pagoda  style ;  it  is  fed  from  a  pool  above, 
and  throws  up  a  jet  of  water  high  into  the  air. .  This  is  the  principal  of 
many  others,  as  miniature  fountains,  cascades,  and  rivulets  abound 
everywhere,  and  add  much  to  the  beauty  of  the  landscape. 
From  an  artist’s  point  of  view  each  season  has  its  own  particular 
charm.  In  the  early  spring  there  is  the  bright  green  of  the  bursting 
vegetation  contrasting  with  the  darker  background  of  Firs  and  Cedars. 
Then  comes  the  summer  with  its  glow  of  floral  beauty,  followed  by  the 
autumn  with  the  numberless  tints  of  the  fading  leaves.  The  charms 
of  each  and  every  season  are  seen  to  perfection  in  this  valley,  and  lastly 
comes  the  winter,  when  the  hoar  frost  hangs  everywhere  ;  though  of  an 
entirely  diflEerent  character,  the  scene  is  one  which  to  see  means  to 
admire .  In  addition  to  the  portion  under  notice  there  is  in  the  immediate 
environs  of  the  mansion  a  private  garden  enclosed  by  a  high  wall ;  here 
also  are  many  pretty  shaded  walks  and  flower  beds  gay  with  Carnations 
and  annuals. 
Outside  the  more  strictly  cultivated  part  of  the  grounds  there  are 
many  miles  of  woodland  walks  and  glades,  with  soft  mossy  grass  to  walk 
on  and  a  canopy  of  leaves  overhead.  Every  now  and  then  appears  a 
break  in  the  trees  through  which  may  be  obtained  a  charming  view  of 
the  surrounding  country.  On  these,  and  many  other  simple  yet  beautiful 
features,  long  might  one  linger.  Time,  however,  forbids  it,  and  before 
concluding  let  us  take  a  cursory  glance  at  the  glass  department,  which 
is  extensive,  and  scattered  about  in  all  manner  of  out-of-the-way  places, 
in  order  that  its  presence  shall  in  no  way  detract  from  the  landscape 
views  at  different  points.  This,  from  the  artist’s  point  of  view,  may  be 
advantageous,  but  from  that  of  a  gardener  such  is  not  the  case,  as  the 
straggling  nature  of  the  glass  necessitates  an  increased  amount  of 
labour.  Vines,  Peaches,  Cucumbers,  Tomatoes,  and  Melons  are  exten¬ 
sively  grown  to  keep  up  the  supply,  and  a  good  collection  of  Orchids  is 
comprised  of  Odontoglots,  Cattleyas,  Coelogynes,  Dendrobiums,  and 
Oncidiums  in  variety. 
Attached  to  the  mansion  is  a  large  ornamental  conservatory  now  gay 
with  flowers  interspersed  with  the  feathery  heads  of  Humea  elegans. 
The  presence  of  two  fine  specimens  of  Dicksonia  antarctica  are  a  feature 
together  with  many  tall  spikes  of  Campanula  pyramidalis.  In  other 
bouses  Palms,  Ferns,  and  other  stove  plants  are  largely  grown  for 
decorative  purposes.  Other  extensive  gardens  supply  the  kitchen 
department  with  vegetables  and  fruit,  but  this  must  now  with  other 
points  of  interest  be  passed.  For  over  a  quarter  of  a  century  the  complex 
and  arduous  duties  appertaining  to  the  management  of  these 
extensive  grounds  have  been  performed  by  Mr.  T.  H.  Rabone,  this  fact 
alone  being  ample  evidence  of  his  ability  as  a  horticulturist.  Many 
improvements  have  taken  place  during  this  period  for  which  he  is 
responsible.  Any  notes  of  Alton  could  not  be  considered  complete 
without  reference  to  his  capabilities,  and  also  his  kindness  and  geniality 
by  which  he  has  won  the  respect  of  all  with  whom  he  has  come  in  con¬ 
tact,  and  in  conclusion  many  pleasant  recollections  are  associated  with 
the  memories  of  Alton  Towers. — Traveller. 
HOW  GARDENERS  ARE  MADE. 
Without  entering  deeply  into  this  subject,  with  which  both 
Invicta”  and  “  Shirburn”  have  each  dealt  fully,  I  would  remark  that 
there  is  undoubtedly  a  great  deal  of  truth  in  the  statements  of  the  latter 
on  page  539.  There  are  numbers  of  young  men  to  be  met  with  every 
day  who  are  not  possessed  of  the  least  ambition  to  become  qualified  in 
their  work,  some  actually  treating  outdoor  gardening  with  contempt. 
Naturally  such  men  never  make  good  gardeners  ;  it  is  impossible  for 
them  to  do  so,  because  an  up-to-date  man  must  have  an  interest  in  every 
phase,  and  as  much  experience  as  circumstances  will  permit  him  to 
accumulate. 
I  fear,  however,  the  method  by  which  “  Shirburn  ”  would  deal  with 
the  glut  in  the  garden  market  is  a  long  way  from  the  chance  of 
possibility  of  its  being  realised.  I  cannot  help  thinking,  too,  that  the 
same  correspondent  is  expecting  a  trifle  too  much  from  head  gardeners, 
for  though  there  are  some  who  are  botanists,  and  could  name  many 
species  of  wild  flowers  without  reference  to  books,  there  are  still  a  greater 
number  who  could  not  do  so. 
In  these  days  of  high  pressure  there  is  not  so  mueh  time  for  the 
study  of  botany  as  many  would  like  to  devote  to  it,  instructive  and 
highly  interesting  as  it  is,  and  there  is  not,  I  fear,  any  immediate 
prospects  of  a  brighter  future.  While  there  are  so  many  young  gardeners 
whose  aim  and  object  do  not  seem  to  be  to  learn  as  much  as  possible 
while  they  have  the  opportunity,  there  are  others  possessed  of  ambition 
which  leads  them  to  gain  the  varied  knowledge  required  of  them  when 
they  aspire  to  the  position  of  head  gardeners.  If  this  is  not  so,  why  is 
such  excellence  manifested  in  the  exhibition  tent  or  hall  1 
Gardening  as  a  livelihood  is  undoubtedly  overdone,  but  in  what 
trade  is  there  not  the  same  competition?  Depression  in  agricultural 
matters  makes  a  vast  difference  to  the  owners  of  large  country  seats 
where  good  gardening  was  once  upheld.  The  order  of  the  present  day 
is  to  do  the  greatest  amount  of  work  for  the  least  expenditure  in  capital, 
and  this  drives  men  to  adopt  cheap  labour  without  choice,  irrespective 
of  the  future,  and  so  long  as  this  goes  on  “  Shirburn’s  ”  system,  admirable 
though  it  might  be,  can  only  remain  an  unrealised  dream. — S. 
ROSE  AND  HORTICULTURAL  SHOWS. 
IPSWICH.— July  9th. 
The  summer  exhibition  of  the  Ipswich  and  East  of  England  Horti¬ 
cultural  Society  was  unfortunate,  as  far  as  Roses  are  concerned,  in 
having  selected  the  same  day  as  the  Rose  show  of  the  Royal  Horticul¬ 
tural  Society  at  Westminster  and  the  Floral  Fete  at  Wolverhampton. 
These  fixtures,  no  doubt,  attracted  some  exhibitors  who  would  otherwise 
have  attended,  and  considerably  lessened  the  competition. 
The  show  was  held  on  the  highest  part  of  Christchurch  Park,  and 
comparative  strangers  to  the  town  and  the  place  must  have  been  much 
struck  by  the  good  fortune  of  the  populous  borough  in  having  such  a 
splendid  park  with  its  truly  grand  trees  in  its  midst,  for  since  last  year 
it  has  been  purchased  by  the  Corporation  and  thrown  open  to  the  public. 
The  Society  has  been  most  unfortunate  in  past  years  in  the  matter  of 
weather  for  the  summer  show  ;  but  on  this  occasion  the  day  was  per¬ 
fect,  though  somewhat  too  hot  for  the  Roses,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that 
the  attendance  was  good  enough  to  repay  the  Society  for  some  of  its 
past  losses.  The  tents  were  arranged  in  a  queer,  maze-like  fashion,  and 
it  was  somewhat  of  a  puzzle  to  find  one’s  way  in  and  out  ;  but  Rev.  H.  A. 
Berners  and  Mr.  Archer,  the  Honorary  and  Acting  Secretaries,  were 
thoroughly  efficient  in  the  performance  of  their  duties,  and  no  delays  or 
hitches  occurred. 
In  the  class  for  thirty-six  (open)  Mr.  Frank  Cant  was  a  good  first, 
showing  Marie  Baumann,  Auguste  Rigotard,  and  Horace  Vernet  finely. 
The  latter  Rose  was  well  shown  in  almost  all  stands,  and  indeed  it 
was  quite  a  day  for  dark  coloured  Roses,  lighter  varieties  being 
probably  injured  by  thrips  during  the  dry  weather.  Messrs.  W.  D.  Prior 
and  Son  were  second  with  smaller  blooms,  the  best  of  which  were 
Horace  Vernet  and  Ulrich  Brunner.  The  same  two  exhibitors  were  also 
the  only  competitors  for  twelve  trebles,  but  had  a  much  closer  contest, 
Messrs.  Prior  getting  the  first  place  with  a  stand  which  contained  a 
magnificent  triplet  of  Horace  Vernet,  a  capital  one  of  Mrs.  John  Laing, 
and  a  really  bad  one  of  La  France.  The  best  triplets  in  the  second 
prize  stand  of  Mr.  Frank  Cant  were  Horace  Vernet,  Mrs.  John  Laing, 
and  Kaiserin  Augusta  Victoria. 
In  the  open  class  for  twelve  Teas  Mr.  Frank  Cant  was  first,  having  a 
grand  back  row,  among  which  was  a  fine  bloom  of  Ethel  Brownlow  of  a 
queer  but  not  unpleasing  colour,  together  with  Cleopatra  and  Catherine 
Mermet  of  good  size,  substance,  and  form.  These  were  probably  all  from 
maiden  standards.  Messrs.  Prior’s  blooms  were  weaker  and  less  lasting, 
but  there  was  a  good  Madame  Cusin  among  them. 
Only  two  competitors  showed  in  the  principal  amateurs’  class  for 
twenty-four,  and  of  these  Rev.  A.  Foster  Melliar  was  a  somewhat  easy 
first,  showing  better  H.P.’s  than  he  had  hitherto  done.  Among  these 
was  a  capital  Frangois  Michelon,  good  in  colour,  and  unusual  in  smooth¬ 
ness  and  shape,  which  gained  the  medal  as  the  best  amateur  Rose  in  the 
show,  and  a  good  Horace  Vernet.  Rev.  H.  A.  Berners  took  the  second 
prize  with  an  even  but  inferior  collection.  Similar  places  were  main¬ 
tained  by  the  same  two  amateurs  in  the  class  for  six  trebles,  Mr.  Foster 
Melliar  showing  good  triplets  of  Jean  Soupert  and  Mrs.  John  Laing. 
In  twelve  Teas  the  positions  were  reversed,  Mr.  Berners  gaining  the  first 
place,  showing  good  specimens  of  Ernest  Metz  and  The  Bride,  the  best 
blooms  in  Mr.  Foster  Melliar’s  box  being  Mar6chal  Niel  (no  relation  to 
the  one  which  took  the  medal  at  the  Crystal  Palace),  and  Caroline 
Kuster.  In  twelve  Roses  Mr.  D.  G.  Warnes  of  Eye  was  first,  Mr. 
Parsons  of  Woodbridge  second,  and  Mr.  Harrison  third. 
In  six  Roses  of  a  sort,  signs  of  a  nearly  past  season  were  manifest. 
Mr.  Berners  was  first  with  Gabriel  Luizet,  Mr.  Corder  second  with 
Ulrich  Brunner,  and  Mr.  Foster  Melliar  third  with  Countess  of  Rose¬ 
bery.  For  six  Teas,  Mr.  Parsons  was  first  with  a  good  stand,  and  Mr. 
Warnes  second. 
For  dinner  table  decorations,  the  lady  judges  were  unable  to  separate 
the  old  rivals — Mrs.  Orpen  and  Miss  Gilbert,  both  of  whom  showed 
Sweet  Peas  and  Grasses  well.  A  closer  study  would  probably  have 
revealed  superiority  in  Mrs.  Orpen’s  table.  The  remaining  competitor. 
Miss  Steward,  was  awarded  third  prize  for  an  arrangement  in  yellow — a 
popular  colour  with  Ipswich  decorators.  The  yellow  and  orange  idea 
was  carried  out  even  to  the  extent  of  gold  fish  in  a  central  bowl  and 
tiny  ones  swimming  in  each  finger  glass  ! 
Fruit  was  well  shown,  but  this  deponent  had  to  leave  before  the 
judging  was  finished  in  the  other  tents. — W.  R.  Raillem. 
WOLVERHAMPTON.— July  9th,  10th,  11th. 
As  was  briefly  intimated  in  our  last  issue,  the  floral  fete  that  was 
held  in  the  Public  Park  on  the  above  dates  was  the  most  extensive  ever 
provided  in  the  busy  Midland  town.  The  Public  Park  is  an  ideal 
place  for  a  large  horticultural  exhibition,  and  surely  as  convenient  as  a 
park  could  be  for  the  population  for  which  it  was  provided  and  by 
which  it  is  surrounded,  for  it  may  almost  be  said  to  be  in  the  centre  of 
the  town.  Nor  do  the  trees,  shrubs,  and  flowers  struggle  under  a  smoke¬ 
laden  atmosphere  such  as  might  be  anticipated  by  the  traveller  in  his 
railway  journey  through  the  “Black  Country,”  for  dismal  ac  is  the 
scene  from  Birmingham  to  the  confines  of  Wolverhampton,  we  are  no 
sooner  in  the  park  in  question  than  we  appear  to  be  in  the  pure  air  of 
the  country,  and  the  change  in  half  an  hour  from  blackness  to  bright¬ 
ness  is  almost  startling.  At  the  luncheon  the  Lord  Mayor  of  York 
(who  with  other  members  of  the  municipality  of  the  ancient  city  visited 
Wolverhampton)  described  the  district  through  which  they  passed  as  a 
wild  and  howling  wilderness,  but  his  lordship  was  reminded  by  another 
